Now that Barack Obama has pretty much wrapped up the nomination, it's time to raise a question that lots of people have been talking about privately but not publicly. Is it possible that Michelle Obama is the force behind Barack Obama's refusal to embrace traditional patriotic symbols? Could Obama's wife be largely responsible for the candidate's damaging associations with crackpot race-baiters like the Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the Reverend Michael Pfleger? In sum, could Obama's wife be a large part of his political problem?
Obama himself seems, at least on the surface, relatively free of the kind of corrosive racial resentment that is so common among African American activists of our day. This resentment is especially puzzling as it often comes from people who, far from being victims, have actually enjoyed benefits and privileges that they would probably never get if they happened to be white.
Consider the case of Michelle Obama. She was raised in a two-parent, middle-class family. She applied to one of America's top universities, Princeton, and was admitted. Of this experience, Michelle says on the stump, "All my life I have confronted people who had a certain expectation of me. Every step of the way, there has been people telling me what I couldn't do. When I applied to Princeton, they said: you can't go there, your test scores aren't high enough."
Which is all very moving, except that her test scores weren't high enough. Michelle Obama is part of the affirmative action generation of above-average but far-from-stellar performers who were granted preferential admission to America's most elite institutions.
Michelle notes that she graduated with honors in her major. Again, the problem is that her undergraduate thesis is on the web. You might expect that she wrote about Shakespeare's sonnets or the political evolution of W.E.B. Du Bois. Well, no. Essentially Michelle Obama wrote about the problems of being a black woman at an Ivy League university.
Here is a typical passage: "By actually working with the Black lower class or within their communities as a result of their ideologies, a separationist may better understand the desparation of their situation and feel more hopeless about a resolution as opposed to an integrationist who is ignorant to their plight."
Alas, the grammar is all wrong here. More than once, the tenses are garbled. People are ignorant "of" the plight of the lower class, not ignorant "to" their plight. And"desparation" should be spelled "desperation." To wreak so much havoc on the English language in one sentence, without conveying anything of substance, is perhaps deserving of a prize. Is this what her professors were thinking when they granted her honors? Whatever the Obamorons say, let's remember that that these are not mere typos; they reflect an estranged relationship to the English language. Moreover they appear not in a daily blog but in a thesis that is supposed to reflect the culmination of one's college career.
Subsequently Michelle went on to further appointments and even managed to cash in big time on her skin color and marriage to Barack Obama. She was hired by the University of Chicago hospitals to run "programs for community relations, neighborhood outrecah, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity, and minority contracting." Here her salary was $400,000 a year.
One might expect that the reaction of someone who gets so many privileges to be grateful to a society that makes them possible. But no. Michelle Obama thinks that her very success is an example of white oppression. By a bizarre twist of logic, she converts "you're not good enough, but we'll take you anyway" into a message of "they said I wasn't good enough, but I proved them wrong."
Ordinarily these psychological peculiarities may be of little interest, except perhaps to a therapist. But Michelle now stands next to a man that may be elected president of the United States. Barack Obama wants everyone to "lay off" his wife. He doesn't seem to realize that this is not a reasonable request concerning a woman who clearly influences him and who stands to have public influence in her own right. Moreover, for months the media has been laying off her precisely because she is his wife. Like Michelle, Obama seems to confuse preferential treatment with ill treatment.
Of course we've had controversial first ladies in the White House before. The Obamas, however, aren't there yet. Will Barack Obama be ultimately forced to distance himself not just from the Reverend Wright and the Reverend Pfleger but also from his own wife?
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 55)
31. "TJ: I don't think it is spiritual, I think it is taught to children by their parents. If you want to blame religion, then fine - I don't have a problem with that.
TJ
Racism is at its core deification of the creature which is idolatry. Whenever you elevate yourself above another person you are basically making yourself into a god. Only God should be worshipped. We are all sinners. How can anyone possibly be superior to another human being? St. Paul said in Romans 3, “As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one ... are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one…”It is by God’s grace that we repent. It is by the death and resurrection of Jesus that we have hope of eternal life. I also think that racism (This will be controversial for most people) is demonic. If you don’t remain in the grace of God, you leave yourself open to demonic attack. I believe that certain spirits can attach themselves to individuals, families, and even whole nations. There are actual fallen angels in the world. Jesus said that some spirits can only be cast out through prayer and fasting, “This kind can come forth by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). Racism may be one of these spirits.
janesophie1 at 3:11PM on Jun 4th 2008
32. These sorts of quasi-racist, finger-pointing tactics--typical of Conservatives in the past--are going to age really badly, especially once Obama is elected, as I expect he will be.
What once might have seemed somewhat reasonable, albeit tawdry, will then look like absolute slime.
I'm talking about you, and your morally repugnant political games, Dinesh.
best,
Michael White
michael white at 3:12PM on Jun 4th 2008
33. "As I read what is arguably THE lamest post by DD to date, I couldn't help but thinking-
"Who ordered the hammer and nails?"" Robert
Robert,
You hit it on the head with that statement.
Botts at 3:16PM on Jun 4th 2008
34. For years the right wing has used race and religion to divide Americans and keep the economic goodies flowing to the wealthiest few. Now it is all about to become unraveled for them.
But don't expect them to give up without a fight. They believe that race is still a potent issue and they plan to exploit it to the hilt. They are typical race baiters. Almost all of DD's blogs about Obama have concerned race. Obama however, has outsmarted them and has refused to play the race card and so now they are going to go after Michelle. It is a despicable strategy but it's all they have left.
randy at 3:16PM on Jun 4th 2008
35. Janesophie raises a real issue. Affirmative action is definetly a two edged sword. While I am sure it has value to correct some past wrongs, when medical schools use different scores for admission based on race and gender, it is the patients who suffer. Have you ever heard a manager ask of a newly assigned employee, "Is he a 10 per center, or can he do the work?" It is true that some people look for extra proof of competence in minorities because of affirmative action. In jobs where people can be hurt, you can be sure it happens.
Jim K198 at 3:30PM on Jun 4th 2008
36. Dinesh, I have always had problems with yhour type f racism. Are yu claiming Michelle had grades lowere than Bush and got in school on Affirmative Action? How did Bush get to either Yale or Harvard? Of was his Affirmative Action OK, because he ws white. How about yours? India need its intellectuals. Why did you not go back? Is it that yhou participate if American Affirmative Action? Your racism is showing.
Fred Thomas at 3:29PM on Jun 4th 2008
37. I have one objection to what you wrote and that is that you say Obama himself seems to be free of these prejuidices. I don't think that is true. I think he feels the same way as his wife - why else would he have somebody like Wright as a mentor.
Also, are you forgetting his books where he talks about his resentment of his mother's race. He also refers to "typical white people".
This shows he has the same mind set as Michelle Obama!
Susan at 3:30PM on Jun 4th 2008
38. Let us also not forget that Dinesh is the pundit who carried water for Bush for years, a politician so horrendously inept with words, it boggles the mind in a truly "nucular," "can't get fooled again" way. Bush, let us emphasize once more as respectfully as possible, is an incredibly ignorant man, as far as can be seen. He is, we hope, the stupidest human being (as far as general verbal skills and most other accepted standards) ever to humilate himself and the USA in the White House. Has Bush ever written anything? The very thought makes one shudder.
Now, Dinesh . . . I'm so sorry you have trouble with the fact that a candidate's wife once, long ago, missed a letter in the word "desperation." That, Dinesh, is really notable. That must really upset you.
But as an academic myself, I know a faker when I see one. I've graded thousands of papers, from bright students, and so I know a thing or two about grammar and mechanics. So do you, I presume. Your indignation is fake. Either that, or you've never actually taught a class.
Frankly, Dinesh, your own "desperation" is palpable. It reeks. And this is understandable: the drubbing the GOP is about to take from the American people is, I expect, going to be rather remarkable, one for the history books. I have a feeling that deep down, you agree with me.
best,
Michael White
michael white at 3:33PM on Jun 4th 2008
39. Dinesh, buddy, I'm tryin' to be there for ya, but you really shoulda spelled stump correctly for your angle on this post.
fanman at 3:43PM on Jun 4th 2008
40. DD
I see your getting hit by the few typical drive by Libertards,blathering their usual rhetoric. I figured they would be in orgasmic ecstacy today over their Messiah being nominated.No break from the "neocon" attacks today guys?
Puta Cap In botts at 3:43PM on Jun 4th 2008
41. I luv (or should I spell love, anyways!) Dinesh but his outrage is selective but that is OK. It seems he would rather write about someone who does not employ good grammar while ignoring his own grammatical errors, while still leaving the (former? meaning past lifestyle) of McCain's wife hoping that because the present target is (you know-pc) then it would be OK to attempt to defame her (Obama) vs McCain's significant other!
Target? Would anyone write about McCain's purported wife drug addict habits (now past? oh really 20 years ago) vs Michelle Obama (past-20 years ago thesis). How that's concerning 'good for one, good for all!
Hanging around with a former drug addict? Nothing wrong with that because media fodder has stooped to that level!
Fairplay for all. That means McCain and Obama equally!
god bless usa!
edouard at 5:16PM on Jun 4th 2008
42. add another misspelling, from today, paragraph 3, where Michelle says from the "stumb". wonder what that means.
re: Obama getting his mind opened to new things by his wife...isn't that how all good marriages are? My husband and I have taught eachother lots of things.
I can't wait to see how DD will handle having the Obamas as our first couple!
abbot at 3:50PM on Jun 4th 2008
43. Jane if you are interested, I left you a story on DoublD's previous blog page.
JefFlyingV at 3:55PM on Jun 4th 2008
44. I know this is probably cruel and unnecessary, but- Is it just me, but does the fumbling desperation and sheer stink of fear that reeks from Dinesh's post sound like someone who's world just imploded?
P.S. Guys, we may have to find another place to play soon.
Robert at 4:01PM on Jun 4th 2008
45.
Let's see, Dinesh....
Alas, the grammar is all wrong here. More than once, the tenses are garbled. People are ignorant "of" the plight of the lower class, not ignorant "to" their plight. And"desparation" should be spelled "desperation." To wreak so much havoc on the English language in one sentence, without conveying anything of substance, is perhaps deserving of a prize. Is this what her professors were thinking when they granted her honors?
Your entire blog is usually without substance, and let's take a look at your own writing, in THE VERY NEXT PARAGRAPH...
Subsequently Michelle went on to further appointments and even managed to cash in big time on her skin color and marriage to Barack Obama. She was hired by the University of Chicago hospitals to run "programs for community relations, neighborhood outrecah, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity, and minority contracting." Here her salary was $400,000 a year.
What's a neighborhood outrecah?
ex-christian at 4:03PM on Jun 4th 2008